SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (Feb. 17, 2012) – President Deborah M. DiCroce has announced the successful conclusion of The Campaign for Tidewater Community College – with nearly $12 million raised. TCC publicly launched the campaign in February, 2006, with a goal of $10 million.

“I’m pleased to report that this record-setting effort has exceeded our original goal by nearly $2 million, with strategic investments in programs for health professions, information technology, high-demand technical and industrial areas, and for endowment,” said DiCroce. “With 1,830 donors spanning virtually every walk of this community’s fabric, these investments have been instrumental in advancing the college’s vision.”

The campaign represented an investment in the Hampton Roads community and its social, cultural and economic vitality, added DiCroce. “TCC defines its future within the context of Hampton Roads’ future. And we embrace the region’s challenges – be they in a well-trained workforce or an enlightened citizenry – as our goals and objectives.”

“Indeed, now, more than ever, TCC is Hampton Roads’ best hope for growing a world-class workforce and for serving as the point of access for baccalaureate-bound education,” she said.

Since the inception of the college’s Educational Foundation in 1981, many of TCC’s innovative advances, programmatic improvements and increased assistance for student success have been made possible through the generosity and dedication of the foundation’s board members and local supporters. “We are extremely grateful for the important work of our Educational Foundation in moving TCC forward with strong philanthropic support, making the campaign a true milestone in TCC’s history,” noted Lara Overy, director of development and “a proud alumna” of a Virginia community college.

As chair of TCC’s Educational Foundation, Jerry Miller, president and CEO of Earl Industries, commented, “I’m proud to have been a part of this campaign effort – an effort that raised an amount far larger than any other community college in Virginia. Garnering this level of support, with a small development staff conducting its first campaign, is an achievement we can be proud of. I offer my personal thanks to every donor and the gratitude of my fellow board members as well.” He also commended two contributors who made gifts of $1million or more: the Beazley Foundation, a long-time supporter of TCC, and the late Frank Batten Sr. and the Batten Foundation.

Tidewater Community College - the largest provider of higher education and Workforce Solutions services in Hampton Roads - served more than 46,000 students in 2010-11. The 16th highest associate-degree producer in the nation, TCC offers more than 150 programs including business administration, culinary arts, general studies, modeling and simulation, network security, nursing, and automotive technology. Among the fastest-growing two-year institutions in the United States, TCC was founded in 1968 as a part of the Virginia Community College System. The college serves the South Hampton Roads region with campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach as well as the TCC Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk’s theater district, the Visual Arts Center in Olde Towne Portsmouth, the Regional Automotive Center in Chesapeake, and the Regional Health Professions Center and the Advanced Technology Center in Virginia Beach, as well as the Regional Workforce Solutions Center in Suffolk. Forty-five percent of the region’s residents attending a college or university in Virginia last fall were enrolled at TCC. For more information, visit www.tcc.edu.